


Little Wing (A Daisies and Dinosaurs Halloween Special)

by dark_muse_iris



Series: Daisies and Dinosaurs [2]
Category: K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Alternate Universe - Library, Children, Cute, Cute Kids, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fatherhood, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Humor, Librarians, Originally Posted on Tumblr, POV Female Character, POV Second Person, Parenthood, Single Parents, SingleFather!Namjoon, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Widowed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 05:08:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16361420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dark_muse_iris/pseuds/dark_muse_iris
Summary: You spend the Friday before Halloween working at the library, hosting a read-in for a local charity. Among the participants is a little girl with an uncommon devotion to dinosaurs and her father, an endearing nerd who’s fond of reading.Excerpt:When she tilts her head back and screeches again, Namjoon winces and says, “Honeybee, flap quietly, please. This is the library.”Jaeah’s eyes widen in alarm and she turns her head to scold her father. “Daddy, I’m a pterodactyl!”“A pterodactyl, wow!” you exclaim, hoping to cut in and save your friend the effort. “How did you get here, Miss Pterodactyl?”“We took the car,” she answers honestly, but then corrects herself. “I mean, I flew here!” She demonstrates by extending her arms as wide as she can and flapping them in a slow, almost majestic manner. She rocks back and forth on her light-up shoes to prove that she’s indeed flying.





	Little Wing (A Daisies and Dinosaurs Halloween Special)

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: Namjoon x Reader
> 
> Genre: Fluff is not a strong enough noun for what this is. I’m sorry.
> 
> Series: Daisies and Dinosaurs
> 
> Warning: SingleFather!Namjoon, Librarian!Reader, tacky Halloween themes, excessive cuteness, risk of cavities, children
> 
> A/N: I don’t know what’s come over me, but here I am, gushing over fictional characters again. This may be the mushiest thing I’ve written.

The last time you wore glitter on your face, you were fifteen and thought smearing the goop on your eyelids would make your eyes pop. Your mother didn’t approve of it, but she caved after you confessed to spending the last of your allowance on it. Social acceptance by your peers was the most important thing in your life at fifteen. You _had_ to keep it—that metallic magenta glitter you wouldn’t be caught dead in it today.

The glitter on your face tonight is a more tasteful selection, a shimmery layer of bright, iridescent flakes dusting the tops of your cheeks. You retrieve your small compact mirror from the drawer behind the circulation desk to take another quick look. It’s still in place and doesn’t appear to be a hot mess, so it passes the test.

Tonight is a special night and you’ve been anticipating it for two months: the Annual Halloween Read-In. The library had hosted the event for years, teaming up with a local charity to provide a safer alternative to trick-or-treating for kids. Each department had been decorated to display a different theme—a feat that took hours—and was staffed by an employee or volunteer who would read a short story to the children. After the read-in concludes, parents would have the opportunity to open up their car trunks for trick-or-treaters, if they wished.

Last year had been a big success, which is why you’ve put in the extra effort preparing yourself for the evening. Drawing the short straw among the staff, you were declared the event’s official hostess. As a result, you went overboard fashioning your costume: a dark green dress with long, flowing sleeves, adorned with glued-on plastic twigs and leaves made of fabric. It wasn’t going to be a splash at any high-class event, to be sure, but it pairs well with the most noticeable part of your transformation—your latex ear tips.

For tonight and tonight only, you’re not a librarian, but a forest elf who lives in the children’s section, in a hollowed-out tree made from oversized brown construction paper that you hastily crumbled and colored on your lunch break. You wanted it to look like a gnarled tree, full of magical forest wisdom, but it looks like a theater set reject and you’re full of regrets over it. You hope the local paper takes a photo of anyone else’s “house” but yours.

It’s approaching seven o’clock and you see children scurrying to enter the library, their parents trailing reluctantly behind. A lot of the parents look worn from their workdays, but you’re pleased they took the time to attend. The library staff’s vote to plan the event for the Friday prior to Halloween, to garner a larger turnout, is paying off.

As you watch the young participants file in through the glass doors, you catch a glimpse of a dark gray blur. The loud screech of a familiar voice echoes in the entryway, attracting the attention of the surrounding children and their parents. You swallow down the laugh which threatens to show itself, for you know the parent of this particular child very well.

“Come on, let’s go,” Namjoon instructs as he opens the library doors, letting his young daughter Jaeah barrel through to the circulation desk. She’s wearing a gray long-sleeved leotard with tights and a pleated skirt to match. Her shoes light up as she runs around the room, but hardly anyone notices, as her arms are outstretched to flap a modified cape in a dramatic fashion. The original cape had been cut and resewn to attach to a pair of fingerless gloves, giving the little girl wings to fly. On her head is an oversized hood with a large beak, made from what looks to be spray-painted cardboard. It’s one of the most impressive homemade costumes you’ve ever laid eyes upon.

When she tilts her head back and screeches again, Namjoon winces and says, “Honeybee, flap quietly, please. This is the library.”

Jaeah’s eyes widen in alarm and she turns her head to scold her father. “Daddy, I’m a pterodactyl!”

“A pterodactyl, wow!” you exclaim, hoping to cut in and save your friend the effort. “How did you get here, Miss Pterodactyl?”

“We took the car,” she answers honestly, but then corrects herself. “I mean, I flew here!” She demonstrates by extending her arms as wide as she can and flapping them in a slow, almost majestic manner. She rocks back and forth on her light-up shoes to prove that she’s indeed flying.

“Hi, ___,” Namjoon greets warmly. “Or should I call you something else this evening?”

His eyes scan your outfit before landing on your ears and you feel the heat of his examination crawl up your neck.

“I’m a forest elf,” you answer, taking a slow spin in your decorated dress.

Namjoon smiles in approval, then turns to Jaeah and says, “Did you see ___’s costume? She’s an elf.”

The little girl purses her lips and whispers, “whoooosh,” as she pretend-flies closer to you. You kneel down in front of her and turn your head to the side to showcase your new ear, running your finger along its edge until it reaches the pointy top.

“Whoaaa,” she responds in fascination, reaching out to touch it. Her finger pokes against the latex tip and her eyes well with the wonder of new knowledge. “Are you _really_ an elf?”

“I am tonight,” you hint with a wink.

Jaeah’s face lights up like you just shared a huge secret with only her. She giggles and returns to her father’s side, perching to his leg like a bird of prey.

As Jaeah retreats behind her father, you take in his appearance and see that he’s also dressed up for the evening. He’s wearing tan khakis, with a cream shirt held together by tortoise-shell colored buttons, and a wide-brimmed brown hat. He’s one leather whip short of being Indiana Jones, and the ensemble is beyond amusing.

“So, what are you dressed as?” you asked Namjoon, anticipating his answer.

He grins, his dimples popping into view, and reaches into the side pocket of his pants to pull out a magnifying glass. Spinning the device in his hand, he chuckles at his own words before he says them.

“I’m a paleontologist.”

“Oh, so you’re hunting for fossils…from dinosaurs?” you reply, holding back a laugh at his daughter’s expense.

Namjoon reaches down and pats his daughter on the head. “Let’s say I prefer to study fossils from other organisms.”

“Did you make her costume yourself?”

“I had some help from videos online,” he explains, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t know there was a whole world of YouTube channels dedicated to children’s DIY projects. I almost gave up about six times. Some of the people were exhausting. How can someone wake up, plan meals for the week for a family of five, make up crafts for their kids after school, make their own cleaning products, and go to bed on time all on the same day? I felt inadequate because I glued the beak on.”

“You did a great job,” you praise, looking down at Jaeah’s costume. “You guys are too cute. I’m really glad you could come.”

More parents and children enter the library and you check the clock hanging near the entrance. It’s almost time to begin. Excusing yourself from the company of your friend and the petite dinosaur, you move to the main Halloween display where a small group has formed.

“Good evening everyone!” you greet happily with your arms raised to grab their attention. “My name is ___ and as you can see,” you pause to point to your ears, “I’m your friendly neighborhood forest elf.”

Some of the children bounce excitedly and you’re happy to have a shred of validation over your costume choice. The parents force a smile, half of them looking quite relieved the read-in is starting at last. The sooner it starts, the sooner it will be over, and it’s an expression you commonly see at such events.

“It’s so wonderful to see all of you here tonight,” you continue, leaning forward to address the young vampires, witches, superheroes, and the like. “My friends and I are eager to meet you and read some stories. Now that you’re all here, all you have to do is follow the yellow brick road”—you direct your finger to the decorative plastic sheeting taped to the floor—“to each and every house in the library. At each house, you’ll meet one of my friends and they’ll tell you a story. When the story is over, you’ll each get some candy and then follow the yellow brick road to the next house.”

At the mention of candy, one child flourishes his cape as if candy was the only reason for living. Jaeah sees the display and joins in, flapping her pterodactyl wings to demonstrate she can also fly. A small witch who looks no older than Jaeah motions to her mother and starts hopping like a caffeinated kangaroo. The child continues to hop without stopping and the amused expression on her mother’s face is nothing short of victory; if the child exhausts herself from jumping all evening, she’ll be out like a light when it’s bedtime. Perhaps it was the mother’s plan all along.

You straighten your back and hold your head higher, redirecting your eye contact to the adults in the room. “Parents, a few quick reminders. First, we ask that you help us tonight by escorting your children from house to house.

“As you may already know, tonight’s event is hosted in partnership with St. Philomena’s Children’s Hospital. It’s almost November and we’re getting closer to that time of year that is especially hard on our local families with sick children. If you wish to make a donation,” you motion to a medium-sized locked container resting atop the circulation desk, “all proceeds for tonight’s read-in will go toward ensuring they have the support they need. And lastly, if you brought any books for our Book Drive, you may leave those with me up here at the circulation desk.”

You clap your hands softly together to prepare to launch the event. “Are there any questions before we get started?”

One of the women in the crowd raises her hand with a concerned expression. “Do you have any gluten-free candy options?”

You snap your fingers and point in the air. “Yes! Thank you for reminding me. Each house will have a separate bin of candy that will be labeled ‘gluten-free’. Assuming there’s a swarm with the candy bins, feel free to hang back a moment to give the designated reader a chance to make sure your child has candy that’s safe for them. The next reader won’t begin reading until everyone’s ready to go, so your child can get their candy without missing anything.”

The parent nods her head and mouths a “thank you,” which prompts you to return a soft smile.

“Any other questions?” you ask the group. Some children start to fidget with their costumes but no one has any additional questions. A pair of volunteers walk to each of the children and hand out colored bags to prepare them for the influx of candy they’re to receive. You wait patiently and scan the kids to make sure everyone is equipped with their own bag.

“Alright,” you call to them, “are you guys ready to meet my friends?”

The children’s eyes open with a fresh burst of excitement. “YEAH!” they shout in unison.

“Then let’s follow the yellow brick road, you guys!”

A library page dressed like a fairy-tale princess holds up her phone with an attached Bluetooth speaker. She presses a button and the spooky jams of retro Halloween music fill the room, signaling the crowd to advance to the first reader. You laugh loudly as a pair of girls mount their witch’s brooms. One of the girls shouts her broom is on fire and you continue to look on, discovering that a small boy dressed as a dragon has his tongue sticking out behind her. He’s clearly the cause of the holdup.

The laughing continues as you lean forward to clutch your abdomen. Pressing down on your dress, you try to reattach one of the leaves that looks like it’s about to fall off. As you do so, you hear the screech of your favorite dinosaur, who has expanded to her full wingspan and is darting between the other children. Namjoon wipes his brow in embarrassment and you imagine he’s preparing to apologize to other parents on her behalf.

“I’ll see you around,” he says as he passes by. You smile at him and nod your head, taking an extra moment to admire how well his shoulders fill out his shirt. You’re confident the single mother’s will welcome his apologies.

* * *

The tunes of retro Halloween music grow louder and you know the eager listeners are on their way. You stir nervously in your seat, tucking at your dress’ long sleeves. The pitiful attempt of a forest tree next to you is still sticking against the bookshelf thanks to the construction-grade duct tape you used, but you consider the overall display to be an embarrassment to the elven community.

As the children file into tight rows on the floor in front of your chair, you offer the warmest expression of greeting, welcoming them to your pretend-home in the children’s section of the library, their last stop of the evening.

“Hi guys!” you open with a wave. “Oh dear, some of you look tuckered out already.” A few parents chuckle in triumph, offering each other invisible high fives.

You wait for some of the stragglers to join in the group. During your head count, you see Namjoon gathering up the rear, holding his little girl by the hand. The look on her face is one of mild disappointment. Perhaps she didn’t get the candy she wanted or maybe took so much candy that they made her share some of it with her peers. Namjoon’s face is one of amusement, so you surmise she had to learn a lesson the hard way and is now being escorted more directly.

Namjoon whispers something to Jaeah and she nods and plops down in the back row, less than two yards from him. He leans leisurely against one of the center beams in the room and crosses his arms, maintaining a relaxed composure that suits his paleontologist charade. He looks pensive, like he’s about to plan the next dig. You smile at him and motion to Jaeah with your eyes, silently inquiring why she has the long face. Namjoon presses his lips together and shakes his head, waving his hand as if to say, “It’s been an ordeal, but we’re fine now.” You understand that answer from seeing it so often from other parents at events such as these.

You open the story by checking in with your young audience. “Have you guys had fun meeting my friends and listening to their stories?”

One of the children dressed as Iron Man shouts, “Yeah!” and hoists his costumed fist in the air. The others look at him and bob their heads, deferring to his leadership. By now, they’ve heard multiple stories and you don’t take it to heart that they’re less excited than they were at the beginning of the evening. After all, they have candy now, so why would they put forth more effort? You’re thankful for the outspoken superhero, even though his mother is blushing and trying to cool her face with her hands.

“Well, thank you all for coming to visit me at my forest house,” you continue. “It’s not much, what with inflation making acorns depreciate in value.” You wince at your embarrassing improvisation, picking up on some of the laughter from the parents.

“My story,” you pause to hold up the book in your hands, “is about a puppy named Perry who wants to make his own costume for Halloween. Let us begin.”

As anyone would expect, the tale of Perry the Puppy was hatched in a bucket of sugary fulfillment and validation. The story isn’t very long, but it touches on all the hallmarks you think make for an appropriate children’s book: it has humor, it has an obstacle to overcome, and it has a character who remains true to themselves. The librarian in you hopes the story of Perry making his own costume, in spite of his fear of peer ridicule, will reach the ears of your audience, but the realist in you knows you’re a babysitter while their parents check their email. It is what it is.

You’re at least happy for the chance to read the story in funny impersonations; read-ins are the only way it’s socially acceptable for you. You hope to crack the disgruntled-looking parents with your impression of a dog’s howl, so you make eye contact with them as you do it, throwing your head back until the fake leaves on your dress crinkle and start to itch. You catch Namjoon laughing at you, which only spurs your effort and motivates you to continue reading in as animated a way as possible. Your efforts pay off, as the children giggle at the best parts and lean forward to absorb more of the tale.

The story flows from your mouth and you revel in the pleasant feedback from your audience. A couple of the children refuse to blink during the suspenseful parts, like when Perry the Puppy gets a hole in his costume and doesn’t know how to patch it. A child dressed as a vampire quiets his younger sister when you describe how Perry’s friend has just enough material to save the costume.

While you turn the pages, you witness Jaeah flapping her wings as she teeters in and out of character. Sometimes she flaps magnificently, and sometimes she fiddles with the Velcro on her shoes. Namjoon alternates between monitoring her and taking in the story for himself. The corners of your lips perk up as you wonder whether he brought Jaeah along because he wanted someone to read to _him_. Few adults would confess to loving children’s books, but you can see it in his eyes. He’s enjoying it.

“And from that day on, Perry the Puppy knew he could always count on his friends. The end.” You relax your face as you close the book and place it on the shelf next to you. Another story finished, another Halloween read-in complete and no one threw up on the carpet.

You hesitate as you reach for the bucket of candy under your chair. The children’s eyes widen like cheetahs about to pounce on unsuspecting prey. They stir and adjust their legs, preparing to race each other to the candy-coated finish.

“Who wants some candy?!”

The words barely escape before a throng of children lunges toward you, cheers erupting from their lungs. You sit back in your chair to brace yourself from the swarm, calming the nerves in your voice as you instruct to take only a couple pieces of candy and leave the rest for the others.

In the back of the crowd, Jaeah stands on her feet, arms outstretched as she rocks side to side, pretending to hover as she awaits her turn. As the children disperse, you offer her the bowl to make her selection.

“Here you go, sweetie.”

She beams, flashing her father’s dimples which melt your heart, as she dives into the bowl and grabs a piece. She takes it in her hand and looks for her father, then holds the candy up in the air with a look of hope in her eyes. Namjoon squints to identify the candy she’s selected and then gives a nod of approval. You resist the urge to squeal, “Awww,” for how adorable their system for checking candy is.

“Um, Miss ___,” she wavers, “may I have another piece?”

“Sure, honey. Do you want another one like the one you have?” you ask.

She nods her head, the top of her pterodactyl hood slipping over her eyes. You fish your hand into the bowl and pull out a matching sweet to drop into her treat bag.

“Thank you!” she interjects, outstretching her arms and making a wide circle to fly back to her father.

A volunteer begins ushering the crowd into the parking lot to participate in the trunk-or-treat. As they migrate to their next destination, you feel a wave of relief. Your night is almost over. You turn your back to begin dismantling your Halloween display, as the forest elf’s house is blocking a section of bookshelf you know will need tending with returned books in the morning.

“Do you guys have read-ins for other holidays too?”

Namjoon’s voice behind you sounds hopeful. He’s asking like a parent would, but you suspect he wants to know for himself as well. You find his question endearing. He pokes his finger up against his hat to move the brim higher, exposing a peek of his forehead, as he pauses for your answer.

Jaeah’s holding his hand, prompting you to adjust your response. “At Christmas, Santa comes and visits us. He usually reads to the kids the weekend before.”

“You don’t do volunteer read-ins with elves, like Christmas elves?” he clarifies, grinning suggestively. “That’s too bad. I figured you’d have connections.”

Narrowing your eyes playfully, you quip, “I’m sorry to disappoint you. If you’d like to see Santa’s elves come and read to you personally, you can leave a note in the suggestion box at the circulation desk.”

“Do you think Santa’s elves will do the characters’ voices like you did?” he laughs. “That was really special.”

“Hey, it got a few laughs,” you defend yourself, returning the smile. “I tried not to embarrass the library, but I was worried about sleepers.”

Namjoon reassures you. “Well, you did a great job. We had a nice time. I’ll be sure to leave a donation on our way out.”

“Thank you, we’d appreciate that,” you reply. “Will you guys be staying for the trunk-or-treat?”

He looks down and rests his hand on the top of his daughter’s pterodactyl hood. She’s mid-yawn with her doe-like eyes glassed over with impending slumber. “I think we’ll have to pass this year and head home, get some sleep.”

“Alright.” You accept the gentle refusal and feel good knowing that they’ll rest well tonight.

“What time are you heading out?”

“Oh,” you release a deep sigh, “I have to stay and disassemble my forest house. I don’t work the morning shift tomorrow and all the displays have to be gone so the library can go back to normal.”

“Hopefully, it will come down as quickly as it went up,” he chuckles, shaking his head at the paper taped to the shelf.

You bury your face in your hands, muffling your voice. “Look, I know it’s ugly. Two rips and I’m a homeless elf.”

Namjoon laughs louder and you reach over to pop one of the corners off. The front of your construction-papered tree collapses with a whoosh, the paper falling to the floor in a crumpled mess. You wilt in exaggeration at the sight, pouting your lip.

“At least my story was nice.”

“It was,” Namjoon agrees. He turns to Jaeah and quiets his voice, rubbing her head. “Want to say goodbye to ___?”

She nods and walks toward you with arms outstretched. Instinctively, you bend down, swallowing your surprise. It’s uncommon for her to interact with you this way, but when her cloth wings wrap around your neck, it feels natural to you. A part of you wishes you were going home with them and not to Cucumber, your rotund cat who probably got into the treats again.

“Goodbye, Miss ___,” she says in a small voice, laden with sleepiness.

Her body softens as you hold her, rubbing her back affectionately. “Bye, sweetie. Thanks for coming to see me.”

She returns to stand by as her father approaches, his arms extended in a similar manner.

“It’s always nice seeing you, ___.”

He wraps himself around your back and you melt in his embrace. You can still smell a hint of his cologne at the end of the night and you’re thankful for it. You encase his back with your long elf sleeves and offer him the same back rub you gave his little girl moments earlier.

“I’m glad you guys could come. Drive safely, okay?”

He releases you from the hug and offers a sincere expression. “We will, you too.”

You nod and offer a small wave to the adorable dinosaur flapping her wing at you as she yawns again. She takes her father’s hand and leaves the children’s section. The warm glow of their company fades as the remnants of your paper house crumple under your feet.

* * *

_Copyright (c) 2018 by jeonjagiya. All rights reserved._


End file.
